Alastair Campbell's chance to become an MP

Kitty Ussher's resignation as a Treasury minister, after the Telegraph revealed that she had avoided paying up to £17,000 in tax on the sale of her constituency home, could prove a blessing for Alastair Campbell.

By Richard Eden

9:50PM BST 20 Jun 2009

Ussher announced that she would also be stepping down as the MP for Burnley at the general election, leaving a tempting seat for Tony Blair's former director of communications and strategy, who has close ties to the Lancashire town.

Asked in the past about becoming an MP, Campbell said he "wouldn't rule it out because it's an enormous privilege".

A devoted fan of Burnley FC, who was brought up in nearby Keighley, he has said he gave up journalism to work for Labour because he wanted to be a player rather than a spectator.

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